The Story of Haipou Jadonang

Long ago, when the 20th century was just beginning, a boy was born in 1905 in the quiet Rongmei village of Puilon (Kambiron), Tamenglong. His name was Haipou Jadonang. Life in the village was simple, but the winds of change were already blowing. The British had spread their net across the hills, forcing the tribes to pay house taxes, work as coolies without pay, and obey laws that were not their own. “When the big tree falls, even the smallest creeper must bend.” That was how the hill people felt under the weight of foreign rule.

From childhood, Jadonang was different from the other boys. He often went alone into the forest to pray and meditate. People noticed his visions and dreams, and slowly they began to believe that he was chosen by God. Out of this faith grew a movement—a call for the Zeliangrong Nagas to return to their roots, to worship Tingkao Ragwang, the Supreme God, and to leave behind old ways like animal sacrifice and endless clan quarrels. Jadonang wanted his people to walk together in unity, because “a house divided cannot stand.”

But his eyes were not only on religion. He saw the heavy hands of the British—their unfair taxes, their road-building forced labour, and the humiliation of tribal chiefs who had once been free. He began to speak boldly of a “Naga Raj”—a land where his people would rule themselves. His words lit a fire of courage in the hearts of the Rongmei, Liangmai, Zeme, and other Nagas across Manipur, Assam, and Nagaland.

The British, however, grew uneasy. To them, Jadonang’s place of worship looked like forts of rebellion. Reports went to Imphal that he was gathering youth to defy their orders. In 1931, while returning from a holy pilgrimage to Odisha, he was arrested at Lakhipur in Assam. They accused him of plotting against the government and even blamed him for the murder of four traders—though there was no clear proof. Still, the colonial court quickly condemned him.

On 29 August 1931, in Imphal, the young prophet of 26 was taken to the gallows. But before his last breath, he told his people, “My work will not die with me.” And true to his words, his disciple—a young girl named Rani Gaidinliu—took up his fight and carried it forward for many years. “You can kill the body, but not the dream.”

Today, Jadonang is remembered as more than a religious leader. He is honored as a freedom fighter, the first among the Nagas to dream of self-rule. Statues, memorials, and stories keep his memory alive.

Every year on 29 August, his martyrdom day is observed with great respect across Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, and beyond. In Tamenglong, thousands gather at Jadonang Park with flowers, speeches, football matches, and cultural songs. In Imphal, leaders and common folk lay wreaths at his memorial. In Nagaland and Assam, the Rongmei and Zeliangrong people light candles, sing folk hymns, and pray. Even the Assam Rifles and local officials join in with sports, cultural programs, and medical camps in his honor.

As the old saying goes, “A man’s life is short, but his name can live for a hundred years.” Haipou Jadonang’s dream of dignity and freedom still walks with the people of the Northeast, reminding them of the strength of unity and the courage to stand tall against injustice.

Clare Rongmei

Dimapur